The Study on the Construction of a Buddhist Community as a Learning Organization Based on Systems Thinking & Perspective, and its Prospects

Abstract

The theme of this study is to combine eastern Buddhist thinking and western system thinking and management concept to transform the Fo Guang Shan community as a Buddhist learning organization, as well as to plan and probe into its prospects. The research purpose and contribution are to establish a successful operational model with modern system management and Buddha dharma for increasing Buddhist organizations. By becoming Buddhist learning organizations, they can continue to learn, grow and guide the public to learn. Hence the world will be learning Pure Land. To accomplish the goal of learning Pure Land, Buddhism should recognize the current needs and development, properly integrate content, adjust the process and absorb new knowledge to respond to the changing times, in order to fulfill the purpose of benefitting the world; otherwise, it will become a conservative, outdated religion unable to educate the public and face elimination since it would not catch up with human trends and global technology. Changeable technology significantly influences the pursuit of material life. In these times, it is urgent to find the balance needed to accomplish the goal of propagating Buddhist teachings. With the guidance of Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan, it influences practice and development of Humanistic Buddhism in the Buddhist circles of Taiwan and helps to prevent people's misunderstanding of Reclusive Buddhism which only concerns individual instead of global practice. Although different schools have different beliefs, Buddhism has undeniably been successfully introduced around the world. The main reason for the successful global development of Humanistic Buddhism is its implementation by Master Hsing Yun and appropriate management of the Fo Guang Shan community. It results in modernization and systemized Buddhist temples in Taiwan. With the system, it can be further developed, and with modernization, it can continuously face the challenges of the changeable times and satisfy the spiritual demands. Since Fo Guang Shan has a mature managerial system and background, this study will try to introduce system management thinking which is popular and commonly identified in the west, and compare and integrate it with Buddhist thinking to create efficacious Buddhist management. It treats the organizational model of Hard Systems Thinking as representative in the simulation of the enormous and complicated system of the Fo Guang Shan community. The purpose is to develop the Fo Guang Shan community as a learning organization which can fulfill the functions of Humanistic Buddhism and systematically accomplish of goals of Pure Land.